A heated debate has broken out on social media after an anonymous St. Thomas resident posted concerns about supervision at a local summer camp, sparking dozens of comments from parents, former campers, and community members with very different views on what really happened.
The original poster, who works in delivery and says they pass the camp location daily, claimed they saw children outside without adult supervision for several days in a row.
The post referenced a past incident involving a child being harmed at a different summer program years ago, and suggested the current lack of visible supervision raised similar concerns. The post also criticized what the children were wearing, a detail that drew sharp criticism from other commenters.
Community Pushes Back on Claims
Several people who responded to the post quickly challenged both the framing and the accuracy of the claims. Commenter Cherae Pickering pointed out that the program in question is a dance camp, not a general summer camp, and noted that staff are required to pass background checks before being hired.
Lisa Shillingford questioned why the original poster did not simply go inside to check on supervision if they were truly concerned, writing that if something seems wrong, “say something” rather than just observing from a car.
The original poster responded that their job as a delivery driver did not allow time to stop, since deliveries are time-sensitive.
Ai’Leeziana Caceres took issue with how the children were described in the post, calling the language about their clothing “a very malicious statement” that she felt was unnecessary and likely inaccurate. Denise Eyes echoed this, adding that any clothing choices reflect parents, not the camp itself.
Not everyone was critical of the original poster. Commenter La Asia said she felt “real disappointed” reading the post, suggesting the concerns raised resonated with her own worries as a parent.
Wilma Malone connected the issue to a broader frustration with local officials, writing that residents “have reason to complain” given a perceived lack of accountability from elected leaders.
Camp Defenders Cite Years of Safe Attendance
Other commenters defended the camp directly based on personal experience. One commenter, posting anonymously, said her daughter has attended the dance camp for years without any issues, though she acknowledged the location may not be ideal.
Isha Aska, who said she has dropped off food for a child enrolled in the program, explained that visitors are required to identify themselves before entering, and that adults supervising the children are not always visible from the road.
Karen Hamm thanked Isha Aska for offering that detail, saying people are often quick to criticize without understanding the full picture.
The thread also touched on a separate controversy, with commenter John Paperteam Jenniya disputing the claim that a nearby school referenced in the original post is for “bad children,” suggesting the poster should research the school further before making that characterization.
As of now, no official statement from the camp or local authorities has been issued addressing the claims made in the post.
